WESTERN TANAGER LOS AngeleS Audubon Society Volume 47 Number5 January-February 1981

Fish of the Desert by Larry L. Norris Si o

eath Valley National Monument would not appear to a. provide suitable habitat for fish populations number- ing into the millions, but it does. In fact, four species of fish inhabit the several springs, creeks, and peren- nial riveDr pools in and near Death Valley. These fish are called pupfish because of their diminutive size; they are seldom longer than one and a half inches (3 cm) when fully grown. All are mem- bers of the genus Cyprinodon in the Killifish family. Cyprinodon is latin for "carp with teeth"; the size and shape of pupfish teeth are important morphological characteristics in determining species. Species can also be determined from pupfish habitat, since ranges do not overlap. To fully appreciate the present distribution of pupfish popula- tions in the Death Valley area it is necessary to understand the Ash Meadows Pupfish (cyprinodon nevadensis mionectes) system of lakes that occurred in this region during the Pleistocene Male, top; female, bottom. Note size relationships. era. The western Mohave Desert received all the run-off from the melting glaciers on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada during the interglacial periods. These meltwaters created a series of pluvial lakes which extended eastward from the Owens Valley across the desert to the Colorado River. Lake Manly filled the valley known today as Death Valley to an average depth of six hun- short overview of the different pupfish species and dred feet (180 m) and a length of approximately 125 miles (200 habitats in the Death Valley area will demonstrate km); this was the largest of these lakes. Scientists today know that some of the physiological adaptations these fish have these lakes were linked to the Colorado River drainage because made in response to harsh environments. It will also another species of pupfish is found in isolated springs in southern sheda some light on the problems encountered in trying to manage Arizona and northern Mexico. pupfish populations. Salt Creek lies near the geographical center With the last melting of the Sierran glaciers and the onset of a of Death Valley National Monument and is the only natural drier climate, these large pluvial lakes began to evaporate, and habitat for C. salinus, the Salt Creek Pupfish. Salt Creek is not eventually groups of pupfish were isolated in spring systems that associated with any spring system and so the water level, tem- emerged along the shores of the shrinking lakes. By the time these perature, dissolved oxygen and salt content fluctuate in daily and lakes had dried up, only a dozen or so springs remained to provide seasonal patterns, placing the pupfish in an extremely unstable en- suitable aquatic habitats for pupfish. vironment. Not many species of fish could survive such extremes The habitats in which pupfish are presently found are not in temperature. But these little fish have been able to cope with suitable for most species of fish. Two habitats are hypersaline, and temperature changes ranging from freezing to 104°F (40°C). three experience extreme temperature fluctuations during the Daily temperature variations of 15°C have been recorded in the course of the year; others are restricted in size — some springs are lower portions of S,alt Creek. Physiological changes caused by not much larger than a bathtub. In fact, both the most restricted isoenzymes that function at certain temperatures are thought to be and the harshest environments for any fish species in the world are responsible for such tolerance levels. (Isoenzymes are variants of found in Death Valley National Monument. enzyme molecules that regulate body functions.)

®1981 Los Angeles Audubon Society THE WESTERN TANAGER January-February 1981

Cottonball Marsh, just south of Salt Marsh, is perhaps the harshest environment for any fish in the world. The spring for this marsh is located on the west side of the valley. The water flows down along shallow, salt-rimmed seeps to the marsh itself, which ll of these populations live within the bounds of Death consists of sulpher pools rimmed by travertine deposits. Summer Valley National Monument, and exist in stable, temperatures at Cottonball Marsh have been recorded at 112CF natural ecosystems that are being managed in order to (44°C), and water salinity has been found to be up to two and a perpetuate these populations of pupfish. The story of half times that of ocean water (88%). The Cottonball Marsh Pup- the pupfisah populations outside the monument is not so successful. fish (C. milleri) was unknown to science until its discovery in the In the area of Tecopa Hot Springs, a subspecies of the Amargosa late 1950's. Pupfish (C. n. calidae) once thrived in the outflows of several hot The pupfish of Cottonball Marsh actually drink the salt water to springs. All of these hot springs have had bath houses built over keep from dehydrating. This process of adjusting to hypersaline them to provide access to the "medicinal" waters. This encroach- conditions is called osmoregulation. Normally, the salty water ment did not in itself cause the extinction of the Tecopa Pupfish, would draw out all the body fluids through the process of osmosis. but chlorination in the drainage flows from the adjacent public To combat this process, the pupfish drinks the salty water, and showers did. One wonders whether the people who used the baths through internal chemistry increases the plasma osmotic con- ever knew or cared about the existence of this little fish, a relic centration in its body, and thus decreases body fluid loss from os- species which has been able to adapt successfully over thousands mosis. A certain amount of metabolic water is produced to offset this loss. This process represents an amazing and very necessary adaptation to a hypersaline environment. Saratoga Springs, the stronghold for pupfish in Death Valley, is the only habitat for C. nevadensis nevadensis, a subspecies of the Amargosa Pupfish. In early summer, millions of juvenile pupfish

Sulpher Spring, Cottonball Marsh can be found in the shallow lakes north of the spring pool which results from an earthquake fault that cuts across a water table; the water percolates up the fault, continuously replenishing the spring with warm water. The temperature is quite constant, ranging from only 80 to 85°F (26.5 to 29°C). All breeding and hatching occur in Devil's Hole the spring pool which is about 32 feet in diameter and five feet deep (ten m by 1.5 m). of years to changes in its environment. But it could not survive the Food for this fish is derived from four sources — algae that ignorance of man for one season. grows along the edges of the pool; flying insects that become Federal mandates from Congress, of course, do not protect rare stranded in the pools; microbial detritus from the pool bottom; or unique life forms on private lands. Another extinction occurred and, although the pupfish are not cannibalistic, they do eat other at Shoshone Springs in the town of Shoshone, just east of Death dead pupfish. Valley. Here, another subspecies of the Amargosa Pupfish (C. n. The Amargosa River Gorge south of Tecopa (outside the monu- shoshone), the Shoshone Pupfish, was forced into extinction be- ment) and a small stretch northwest of Saratoga Springs provide cause its water was diverted into a private trailer court swimming the only perennial pools for the Amargosa River Pupfish (C. n. pool, and then used to water the high school football field. The amargosae). The water in these pools is not heated by deep spring world can replace a swimming pool or a football field, but it will systems and it gets very cold in winter; occasionally it even ices never again see the Shoshone Pupfish. This is just another example over. This subspecies, like the Salt Creek Pupfish, burrows into the of a land management philosophy, although not recognized as soft mud of the pool bottom, which is relatively warmer than the such, that sacrifices the irreplaceable in order to gain the common water above, to find warrnth. The only drawback to this system of things considered necessary and good. It is a sad philosophy which thermoregulation is that there is a low to non-existent oxygen level predominates in the deserts of the west. in the mud. So, in order to breath, the pupfish will work their way The Ash Meadows area, 40 miles (64 km) east of Death Valley, up until just their heads and gills are clear of the mud. This way contains three large spring systems that support two more sub- they can obtain the oxygen they need from the water and still sur- species of Amargosa Pupfish as well as the endangered Devil's round their bodies with the warmer mud. Hole Pupfish. It is an area that has seen controversy over pupfish THE WESTERN TANAGER January-February 1981

management in the past and will no doubt see it again in the The pupfish inhabit only the sunlit portion of the cavern system, future. and all feeding and breeding take place on a small rock shelf near Resource problems abound in the private and public springs of the surface of Devil's Hole. Algae grows on this shelf and it is here this area. Exotic fish populations — mostly Mosquito Fish and the fish get their food. In winter, when the sun is too far south to Black Mollies — are out-competing the Ash Meadows Pupfish (C. shine directly into the pool, the algae dies back, and so does the n. mionectes) which occurs in at least a half-dozen of the lower number of pupfish living in the pool. springs in Ash Meadows. Big Spring, once owned by the Nature Since Devil's Hole is the highest of the springs in the Ash Conservancy but now owned by the Bureau of Land Management Meadows area, it was the first to suffer the effects of agricultural (BLM), faces the problem of introduced crayfish as well as the ex- groundwater pumping, and was the first to gain national recogni- otic Mosquito Fish. Both of these species prey on pupfish eggs. tion in the preservation battle that followed. Being under Federal Pupfish do not compete well with other species introduced into the mandate to protect the natural resources of the Monument, the same niche, which is understandable since they have been isolated National Park Service entered into litigation to stop the pumping, in springs with no predators or competing fishes for thousands of to maintain the water level above the vitally important feeding years. and breeding shelf. It was proved in the courts that the Devil's The Warm Springs Pupfish (C. n. pectoralis) occurs in seven Hole Pupfish would become extinct if pumping continued. The higher warm springs in Ash Meadows. These springs are smaller decision by the United States Supreme Court in favor of the pup- than those below, some less than six and a half feet (2 m) in fish came six years after the onset of the problem. The fish are pro- diameter, and four feet (1.3 m) deep. They remain within a con- tected now by regulated pumping that maintains a safe water level stant temperature range of 86 to 90°F (30 to 33°C). Because of over the shelf. But things may not remain safe for long. Just a year their very limited habitat and past disturbances to these springs, ago, parts of the Ash Meadows were opened to subdivision for con- this supspecies is listed by the Federal Government as endangered, struction of winter homes, another non-essential. To date, nothing but the only protection attempt was by the BLM at Schoolhouse has been built, but the threat remains, and a question of water Spring. rights is sure to dominate the issue.

Salt Creek, North View

Cottonball Marsh, Death Valley National Monument t is clear that a resource management philosophy that The fencing of the spring from livestock and people provided favors protection of pupfish populations is only as protection for the pupfish, while an artificial pond was created out- effective as the amount of the entire spring ecosystem side and downhill from the enclosure that was linked by a pipeline that is controlled. For instance, Saratoga Springs is to the spring so people could see and enjoy the pupfish while not totally owneI d and controlled by the National Park Service and the harming their habitat. Since its completion in the early 1970's, the pupfish population is doinv well and is not endangered. On the project has fallen into a disgraceful state of disrepair. It is a fine ex- other hand, Devil's Hole, although owned by the Park Service, is ample of a management objective that did not outlive its sup- subject to water level fluctuations because the landowners in the porters in the Supervisor's Office. This is an important point in valley below have some claims to the water. For management to resource management plans — they must be written to survive the work properly, entire ecosystems must be considered and planned personnel changes that are sure to come later. for, not just isolated areas within a network of other plans, judicial The most divergent species of pupfish lives in Devil's Hole, a bodies and local governments. disjunct portion of Death Valley National Monument, 40 miles (64 Death Valley is a harsh land and not the kind of place expected km) east of Monument Headquarters. It is thought to be the most to support so many species of fish. With the correct philosophy and isolated and restricted of fish populations in the world. Although it resource management in the Monument, the continuation of the is the highest of the spring systems, it includes only a single spring- highly specialized pupfish populations there is assured. It is hoped head to an extensive, flooded cavern system. This is the only that such management may one day prevail for the three pupfish habitat that supports Devil's Hole Pupfish (C. diabolis). Their total populations in the Ash Meadows area as well, but that assurance numbers hover around the 250 mark, with low counts of 150-100 in seems long in coming. The real question is whether or not the fish winter and high counts of 300-400 in summer and early autumn. and their habitat can wait that long.^ THE WESTERN TANAGER January-February 1981

Researchers Visit Peru During our stay we tried out three of the trapping techniques that we may use on California Condors. These are the rocket net, by Helen Snyder the walk-in trap, and the clap-trap. The rocket net is a 40' by 60' net that can be fired over a condor standing on a carcass, the walk- in trap is essentially a baited cage that is easy to walk into but hard to walk out of, and the clap-trap is a sort of double bow-net or ohn Ogden, Noel Snyder and I spent the month of Oc- clamshell-shaped net that can be triggered to close over a condor tober in Peru working with the research scientists there standing at its center on bait. who are studying the Andean Condor. Their project is a The rocket net was the only one that caught condors for us, and J Fish and Wildlife Service contract study being done un- it worked efficiently and without injury to the birds. With it we der Stanley Temple at the University of Wisconsin, and it is caught four wild Andean Condors during the month we were designed primarily to test out some of the methods for releasing there. Condors were very wary of the clap-trap and walk-in trap, captive-bred condors and for trapping and marking wild condors and it does not appear that these methods offer any significant ad- which we hope to use on California Condors. The Andean Condor vantages over the rocket net in terms of safety. was picked for use as a surrogate species because it is probably the The trapped condors were put through the full regimen of han- closest relative to the rare U.S. Condor. dling procedures proposed for the California Condor, including Mike Wallace is in charge of the field work in Peru, and helping anesthesia and laparoscopy (the surgical examination of the him are two American and two Peruvian assistants. They have gonads to determine sex). The four we caught were marked with been camped in the cool, dry Sechura desert on the northwest wing tags and transmitters and were released to join other marked coast of Peru since May. This rugged area was picked for the study birds which Mike had trapped and released earlier. because of its remoteness and because wild condors occur there in The real highlight of the trip came in the days following the numbers. release of these radioed wild birds. With our hand-held receivers On our first morning in the field in Peru, Mike drove us up a we followed the birds' intermittent signals from the mountains barren, rocky canyon toward one of the release pens he had built near camp for several days, and then we began to receive faint but earlier. He stopped and pointed up to a wide-winged raptor soar- steady signals from a new direction — due east, over the vast ing above the ragged skyline about half a mile away. "That's one Sechura desert. of the released captive-bred condors" he said. "She was hatched at We thought at first that the birds had moved to an estuary about Patuxent." We watched in impressed silence as this young Andean ten miles east of us. Then Gene Knoder of National Audubon Condor, wearing a numbered tag on one wing and a small radio Society arrived with a light airplane equipped for radio-tracking, transmitter on the other, slid through the tricky ridge currents and and we went aloft to track our birds. The signals led us straight landed on a rocky knob. over the desert, 90 miles east and into the steep, dark foothills of At that moment we were witnessing the real purpose of captive the Andes. breeding. In a sense this bird had always been a wild Andean Con- All of the wild radioed birds were here where the sheer rock dor, and the months that she had spent in a plywood eyrie in the walls of the mountains rise suddenly from the desert and on several beech-maple bottomlands of the Patuxent Wildlife Research Cen- flights we saw, as well as heard, our marked birds below us. One ter in Maryland were only minutes out of her lifetime. She was was feeding on a carcass with other condors one day, and another now at home in the Sechura skies, among the vultures and red- was soaring with unmarked condors over a high ridge. The radioed backed buzzards and condor kin, free to pair and raise her own birds had led us to a new area of condor activity, one that we had young in her ancestral habitat. known nothing about. These captive-bred Andean Condors had come to Peru from We returned to the area by car as soon as we could and on our Patuxent and the Bronx Zoo. Mike's release procedure has been to second morning of hiking on the dry cactus-covered ridges we keep the young birds in a pen on the ground where they can be fed made what was undoubtedly the most exciting discovery of our and observed, and where they can watch and interact with wild trip: a wild adult male condor wearing a wingtag but no radio, condors and vultures baited in to nearby carcasses. In this way they learn what natural food looks like and what other condors do with it. In time the cage door is opened and they walk out, free. From the time the are placed in release pens the young Condors see no more of man, although they are closely watched from the blinds. Six captive-bred birds have been released so far. One of these, a bird initially underweight and in heavy moult, refused to begin to fly and was recaptured for another attempt when the moult is finished. The other five were quick to learn to fly, to learn that vultures are a sign of the presence of food, and they have been seen to interact with wild condors (once even displacing a wild bird at food). The released birds have been seen being preened by wild adults, and they also beg from them on occasion. Neither the released nor the wild birds appear to notice the tags !t and transmitters on the former captives. The transmitters enable Mike to keep track of his released birds from a distance, to follow their transition to the wild without flushing them or reminding Topa Topa, at present the only California Condor in cap- them that humans were once a part of their lives. tivity. THE WESTERN TANAGER January-February 1981

closely accompanied by an adult female and actively defending a well-used nest site, full of old whitewash and many fresh condor Carter Signs Nongame Act tracks in the soft dirt floor. It appeared that he and his mate might A bill likely to be one of the most significant initiatives in wildlife be very close to egg-laying. conservation within this decade was signed into law by President This was a bird Mike had tagged earlier, before he began using Carter on September 30, 1980. The Fish and Wildlife Con- radios. We would never have found this individual had not the servation Act of 1980, also known as the "nongame" bill, is the other radioed birds led us to the area. The radioed birds led us to first Federal legislation to authorize comprehensive programs for another discovery: the local rancher is engaged in regular poison- the conservation of wildlife species that are neither endangered ing, using strychnine to control lion depredations on goats and nor hunted for sport. horses. This is just the sort of information we hope to obtain by radio-tracking California Condors. Act Promotes Federal Involvement We learned more than we had ever hoped to during the month The act is intended to promote the conservation of nongame in Peru. One insight that came during the work was the fact that wildlife in three ways. First, the Department of Interior is once the worry of trapping and marking the birds is over and the authorized to provide financial and technical assistance to states condors are radioed and released, it then becomes possible to study for the purposes of inventorying nongame species, evaluating their their ecology, behavior and habitat use with far less disturbance to status, and developing conservation plans for their protection. At the birds than is possible through conventional, hands-off, present, $20 million in Federal funding has been authorized for observation-only research methods. One can follow radioed con- these purposes over a four-year period, beginning in fiscal 1982. dors at a distance for many miles, watch them feed and go to roost Matching Federal grants for plan implementation will be available or nest without any risk of close approach. Their behavior is un- to those states with conservation plans that meet Federal stan- affected; one is truly studying a wild bird, x^t dards. "Peru Trip Results" reprinted from the California Condor Newsletter, Vol. Second, the secretary of interior is directed to study other 10, No. 3, December 1980. methods of funding the act. One interesting possibility is the fund- ing of this program with an excise tax on such items as bird seed, feeders, and birdhouses. However, this proposal has been opposed, primarily by the Office of Management and Budget, for the last Resumption of Condor Recovery few years. Program Urged Third, all Federal agencies and departments are encouraged to use their statutory and administrative authority when possible to Thirteen years ago, nine immature Andean condors were captured promote the conservation of nongame species and their habitats. in Argentina and brought to the United States Fish and Wildlife's Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Maryland. Here they paired off and their offspring became the nucleus of a thriving captive Three Realities Recognized population. In July of 1980, six young Andean condors were flown The passage and signing of this act signals Federal recognition and from Virginia to Lima, Peru, where they were fitted with solar- acceptance of three major environmental realities. First, 83 per- powered radio transmitters and, after becoming accustomed to cent of the vertebrate species native to the continental United their new surroundings, were released to the wild. Shortly after States and its coastal waters are classified as "nongame." Without release, they were observed soaring alongside older birds and long-range planning and protection, many of these species could adopting their feeding habits. Other birds will soon be released. become endangered or threatened before the year 2000 because of The Endangered Species Technical Bulletin of the USFWS (Au- habitat destruction and unwise management practices. Nongame gust 1980), the source of this exciting news, concludes that "this species form irreplaceable parts of food webs essential to the sur- information, along with new capture and radio-tracking tech- vival of all species, including humans. niques, may give biologists a better chance to insure the survival of The second reality is that public participation in such noncon- both the Andean and the California condor." sumptive uses of wildlife as photography and nature study is in- A 175-day old California Condor chick was recently fledged in creasing rapidly in relation to such consumptive uses as hunting the wild and will soon move from its protected nest habitat. As and trapping. Several environmental planners predict that most of us know, the California Department of Fish and Game nonconsumptive uses of nongame and game species will be the permits for the continuance of the California Condor Recovery dominant form of wildlife-related recreation before the end of the Program remain in abeyance since the death of another condor century. In the United States, more than $500 million is currently chick in June 1980. While deeply regretting this tragic accident, spent annually by the public on nonconsumptive wildlife ac- the Los Angeles Audubon Society joins with the American Or- tivities. nithological Union in asking for the urgent resumption of the The third reality is that it is neither ecologically nor eco- Recovery Program as the only feasible way to save the condor and nomically feasible to manage game or nongame species as separate its habitat from extinction. If you agree, please write to: or single entities apart from the ecosystems that sustain them. Management practices that temporarily increase the populations Mr. Harold Cribbs, Executive Secretary of a few game species at the cost of ecosystem stability and/or California Fish and Game Commission diversity work to the long-term detriment of both the managed 1416 Ninth Street species and the ecosystem. Sacramento, CA 95814 Public opinion may well be the most important element in in- Reprinted from the Sanctuary, the Bulletin of the Massachusetts Audubon fluencing the permit decision. Society, Vol. 20, No. 4, December 1980. Written by John H. Fitch, Direc- —S.W. tor, Scientific Staff. THE WESTERN TANAGER January-February 1981

Topics of Conservation by Sandy Wohlegumuth duct, uses only two percent of MWD water it pays the lion's share of MWD's water bill. These taxes are for the cost of all the dams hough the prospect of lining up for a few gallons of and reservoirs and pumping plants. Opponents of the Peripheral water is rather remote, in one way or another water Canal point out that the MWD doesn't need additional water. In- may well become as big a headache as oil in every- deed, they quote from an MWD memo of November 1979: "For body's future. the next 20 years MWD may require substantially less water from ThTe city of Los Angeles, as we well know, gets most of its water SWP (State Water Project) than was provided in .... our water from Mono Lake and the Owens Valley. Los Angeles is also a supply contract with the state." There are dark hints that the member of the MWD, the Metropolitan Water District of South- MWD, in spite of this prediction, is pushing the Canal to create ern California, and buys a small portion of its water from that additional surpluses for the benefit of agricultural interests. agency. The MWD extends into six counties and serves over 11 million people, including our close neighbors in Beverly Hills, Proponents of the Canal Represent Big Money Burbank, Santa Monica, Pasadena and Culver City. In 1941, the The large farms of the lower San Joaquin Valley in Kern County MWD built the Colorado River Aqueduct that pumps water from have been flourishing since the State Water Project was built. The Lake Havasu to Lake Mathews. Since 1972, MWD has been re- oil companies, owning great tracts of dry land in the rain-shadow ceiving water from the State Water Project — Feather River water of the mountains — and pumping oil for years — suddenly find from northern California. Water is pumped from the Delta of the themselves proprietors of valuable irrigated farm land. Other large Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers and flows 450 miles up the land owners, including the 300,000-acre Tejon Ranch, share this California Aqueduct, ending at Lake Perris in Riverside County. spectacular bonanza. In some cases, the new water has increased This gargantuan collection of 18 reservoirs, 15 pumping plants and the value of their holdings from the purchase price of $5 an acre to five power plants, says MWD, is "the largest aqueduct develop- $5000 an acre. (The Tejon Ranch, incidentally, is talking about a ment in the history of mankind" and lifts the water over 4000 feet. large recreational development in addition to expanded agricul- The Edmonston Pumping Plant at Grapevine (an excellent con- ture. ) The owners of the Los Angeles Times, the Chandler family, dor-watching spot) pushes the water 2000 feet over the Tehacha- hold a 50 percent share of the Tejon Ranch. The Times, the influ- pis — another dubious world record, using as much energy in a ential colossus of the south, has supported the Peripheral Canal year as the entire city of Los Angeles did in 1965. editorially but has been singularly tongue-tied in its news columns But apparently we're not to rest on our laurels. Last July, the about the controversial details or the charges of "rip-off." legislature passed SB 200, the Peripheral Canal bill, and the gov- Until water came south the farmers got most of their water by ernor signed it. This proposed 43-mile Peripheral Canal will by- drilling into the underground aquifers. When the California Aque- pass the Delta and thus greatly increase the quantity of water flow- duct was completed it was understood that the new water would ing to the southern half of our state. be used to recharge the badly depleted groundwater. (So much oil A hotly contested issue for years, who's for it and who's against and water have been pumped that some Kern County land is ac- it? Superficially it seems to be a mini-Civil War with northern tually sinking.) But Tenneco and Getty and Standard and the rest Californians reluctant to let the more numerous southerners take took the new cheap water and developed new tracts of highly pro- "their ' water. But there's much more here than meets the eye: the fitable crops. It may be argued that agribusiness is expanding Cali- most eloquent advocates of the Peripheral Canal are the Metropolitan Water District, photograph courtesy The Planning and Conservation League agribusiness and the big real estate developers. The MWD is an interesting organization. What Is the Peripheral Canal and Why Should We Give a D—n? Each of the 27 member agencies (which may be cities or municipal water districts) is represented on the governing Board ac- cording to its assessed valuation. These 52 directors are appointed — not elected — and some have been on the Board for de- cades. Many of them, according to the Fair Political Practices Commission, have sub- stantial interests in real estate, construc- tion, banking and land development. The MWD is considered the most powerful leg- islative body in California, outside of Sacra- mento. Ellen Stern Harris, a former direc- tor, has called it "the de facto land planner for southern California ". Take a look at your property tax bill. A little item nestles there every year labeled, "Metro Water Dist", and it has been on the tax bills for 50 years. So, though Los Angeles, with its own aque- THE WESTERN TANAGER January-February 1981

fornia agriculture — the state's largest industry — to feed the hun- gry. But Kern County is being planted in cotton, almonds, grapes and pistachios, all highly lucrative crops that hardly qualify as basic necessities. The neatest gift of all is the "surplus" water that is legally sold to big producers at one-tenth the normal price. This below-cost water, subsidized by the unsuspecting urban taxpayer, guarantees windfall profits to agribusiness. And because the water is so cheap there is no incentive to conserve it. The most widely used system of irrigation is furrow irrigation which is fantastically wasteful. During the 1977 drought, there was no appreciable re- duction in agricultural water use. In the arid south there can be no growth without water. If Wil- liam Mulholland, the patron saint of real estate development, had not brought Owens Valley water south, Los Angeles would still be a relatively small town on the fringes of the desert. As the most SanVranci populous state continues to grow by 100,000 souls every year, room has to be made to put them. So, it is pretty clear where some of the powerful support for the Peripheral Canal is coming from.

Opponents of the Canal Face Difficult Fight The opponents of the Canal include the farmers in the Delta who irrigate their land with Delta water. When the Canal cuts down fresh water inflow from the Sacramento River they will be irrigat- ing with salt water drawn in from the San Francisco Bay. Cities in the Bay area feel that reduced flow will prevent normal flushing of (Pacific Oceans the bay and will negate their expensive anti-pollution efforts. En- METROPOLITAN « vironmentalists are concerned with the Canal's effect on the rich WATER DISTRICT OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA bird life in the Suisun Marsh and the threat to migratory and resi- (Z.OII.5OOAF) dent fish populations. Since the Delta is a vast fish nursery and the present pumping already sucks up millions of fry, the added effect of the Canal promises the demise of the fishing industry. Propo- nents of the Canal claim that proper controls will actually en- hance the quality of the Delta. Opponents believe that the Delta is too fragile to be subjected to an unproved technology and possi- ble mismanagement. An added fear is that the Canal will so lower the hydraulic pressure in the Delta that the untamed north-coast California Aqueduct System and the Proposed Peripheral Canal rivers will have to be dammed and re-routed to replace water pumped out. In November, the voters demonstrated their feelings one of these days they "will turn on their water taps and nothing on this score by passing Proposition 8 that puts protection of these will come out' (Lt. Governor Mike Curb). Jobs will be threatened, rivers into the constitution. (A two-thirds vote by a future legisla- the economy will stagnate and "progress" will be no more. Oppo- ture could however cancel this safeguard.) The water managers, nents of the Canal call for conservation and recycling. The drought however, have talked about bringing water south from the Co- demonstrated that city dwellers can save water. But residential lumbia River — and even the Yukon.! consumers use only two percent of the state's water; agriculture, The projected costs of the project is staggering. The Canal alone 85 percent. If farmers cut back only five percent of their use it will cost $700 million. New dams, reservoirs and smaller canals would increase water available to the cities by 50 percent. Fair raise the price to $5 billion. New power plants to move the water pricing of agricultural water would force agribusiness to conserve. bring it to $11 billion. With interest, by 2035 the total is 23 bil- Anti-Canal people have their work cut out for them. Their lion. The State Water Project today uses four billion kilowatt hours resources are limited and they will face a massive media blitz. It of electricity a year and is California's largest consumer of energy. will not be easy to convince the voters in the south that the sim- With the Peripheral Canal, consumption will jump to 11 billion plistic specter of empty faucets is a phony lot. Or that the "enemy" kwh: 25 percent of the electricity used in the entire state. is not the northerners who have all the water and won't share it, The war is not over yet. Immediately after SB 200 was passed, but rather their own southern neighbors selling oil and real estate opponents drew up a referendum that will give the electorate a and pistachio nuts. Estimates of the price to the homeowners for chance to vote on the Canal. Signatures were gathered almost this $23 billion venture run as high as $100 a month in water bills overnight and it will be on the ballot in June 1982. It will be an and "Metro Water Dist" taxes. This will affect every Californian, epic confrontation. The determined coalition of Kern County north and south. And the cost of rampant growth will be growers, real estate interests and the MWD has unlimited money. catastrophic: the quality of life will take a merciless beating. Will The voters in the south will be warned ominously and often that the voters get the message? ^« THE WESTERN TANAGER January-February 1981

Two Groups Offer Birding Tours The Portland Audubon Society is sponsoring a 16-day birding trip to Texas from 18 April to 3 May 1981. Spend five days on the Rio Grande and five days at High Island looking for Eastern warblers during peak migration. $950 includes air transportation to and from Portland, motels and ground transportation in Texas. Group leaders are Jeff Gilligan and Owen Schmidt. For a detailed itinerary and further information, write Owen Schmidt at 1220 N.E. 17th Avenue, #2-D, Portland, OR 97232. Pomona Valley Audubon Society president Dan Guthrie is leading a natural history tour to Costa Rica, 24 June to 11 July 1981. Price for the 18-day excursion is around $1400 (including air fare). Much of the birding will be in national parks and at field sta- tions of the Organization of Tropical Studies. Among the over 300 species expected to be seen are Quetzal, Jabiru, Stork, Bellbird and parrots, hummingbirds, toucans, tanagers and flycatchers. For a detailed itinerary and complete information, contact Dan Guthrie, 285 Brook Street, Claremont, CA 91711, (714) 621-4000.

Scarlet Macaw

photograph by Herb Clarke

Tanager Mailing Rates Rise Help Plant the Sepulveda Basin If you are a member of LA Audubon and receive the TANAGER The Corps of Engineers is working on the new Wildlife Refuge in monthly as part of your membership in Audubon, the following the Sepulveda Basin in Van Nuys. If you would like to help plant news need not trouble you. If, however, you subscribe to the native plants on Saturday 21 February, call Steve Rossi at 391- TANAGER separately, or if you pay the first class rate so as to 5600. Please call by 14 February. (If it rains on the 21st, the plant- receive your copy quickly in a plain, brown wrapper, the following ing will take place on the 28th). information will be of interest to you. Because of rising postal Come to the Sepulveda Basin, 21 February, 9 a.m. on the south costs, it has become imperative to raise the cost of mailing the side of Burbank Blvd., just west of the San Diego Freeway. Free TANAGER to you. The first class rate is now $12.00 per year, and parking! Free refreshments! the bulk rate subscription rate is now $8.00 per year. Even at these inflated prices, however, we feel THE WESTERN TANAGER is still a bargain! And we hope you will renew your subscriptions as they come due.

Tuesday, February 24,1981 LAAS Banquet at the Sportsman's Lodge Wild Turkeys Join Eagles on Catalina 6:30 p.m. social A colony of several hundred American wild turkeys are now pro- 7:30 p.m. dinner viding a keen diversity to Catalina Island's animal life, according Program: Herb Clarke will feature to Doug Propst, President of the Catalina Conservancy, the the animals, flowers and birds of organization which cares for the island's wildlife. "Wild California" A total of 24 adult turkeys were introduced to Catalina in 1968 in a cooperative effort with the California Department of Fish and Game in an attempt to help refresh the population of game on the island. These "Rio Grande " birds, which favor semiarid zones, were trapped near Sonora, Texas, and flown to the island. Their descendants now range throughout the island and are frequently The cost of the dinner is $13.50 per person. Send reservations to the Ban- seen both in the interior and sometimes in Avalon. These 15 to 20- quet Reservations Chairman, c/o Audubon House. Checks should be made pound birds have formed a self-sustaining breeding colony and are payable to LAAS. The Sportsman's Lodge is located at 12833 Ventura now considered a part of the island's permanent wildlife. Blvd., North Hollywood. THE WESTERN TANAGER January-February 1981

Birding the Santa Ana River in Riverside County by Henry E. Childs, Jr. Prado Basin County Park Located at Archibald Avenue and River Street on the river (this park should not be confused with Prado Regional Park which is m. ml f you start in Riverside and proceed downstream located further downstream at the foot of Euclid Avenue, see \^B^ along the Santa Ana River to the west, you will find Childs, WESTERN TANAGER 46:6, March 1980.) A naturalist is A W several parks which provide a variety of good birding on duty at the little museum over whose door a Black Phoebe tries ^>mS opportunities. Although the parks are similar in many to nest each year. ways, the age and development of the vegetation, its composition Totally different from the other Santa Ana River parks, this one and the amount of open water and marsh areas differ enough to features a tall, dense stand of willow reaching forty feet in height. lend each a unique character and thus afford each a different These attract migrants and house nesting Blue Grosbeaks, Downy avifauna. And enough rarities show up each year to make these Woodpeckers and others. Vermillion Flycatchers and Eastern parks interesting to the expert as well as to the novice. Phoebes have wintered here recently. There are passable trails (at Rubidoux Nature Center, Pedley times) through the dense growth; birding in the willows is the closest to rainforest conditions of anyplace I've seen in the west. Going east, leave Highway 60 at Van Buren and proceed south to Pedley. Turn left on Limonite Avenue and right on Peralta after Some of the rarities seen in this area have been: Scissortail about a mile. At the end of Peralta, turn left on Riverview to the Flycatcher, Cassin's Kingbird, Vermillion Flycatcher, Bell's Vireo, park. Two 25-cent pieces get you into the park. Pick up a check list Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Vesper Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow and at the Nature Center — a good place to bring the kids. Lesser Yellowlegs. A good day along the river should turn up sixty This fine birding spot has a year-round stream, a well developed species and maybe one of the "goodies. S3j marsh with lakes and old field weeds, all bordering along the Santa Bell's Vireo Ana River. Thus, there are a variety of habitats providing good birding all year long. Winter sees many Lincoln Sparrows, White- tailed Kites, and a good selection of marsh birds and water-fowl. Eastern Phoebes have wintered here during the last two years. Spring brings Wilsons Phalaropes, good warblers and Blue Grosbeaks. Fairmont Park, Riverside Located by the freeway (Highway 60) in Riverside at the Market Street offramp, the park is immediately apparent to the south. Lake Evans provides a permanent source of water and harbors many waterbirds in winter. Also in winter, look for Lincoln Sparrow, Yellowthroat and Kingfisher along the several trails in the wild area in the drainage from the lake on the far side of the park. During migration, this is a "hot spot" for warblers and others. Continue around the lake and park near the entrance at the children's playground. Unusual birds are always turning up in this oasis. Here, in the blooming Red Eucalyptus in winter, you may find Western and Summer Tanagers, Orchard Orioles, Rufous Hummingbirds, Tennessee and Black and White Warblers, Yellow-throated Vireos, Coues Flycatchers, and White-throated and Swamp Sparrows.

Hidden Valley Park, Norco This is another one of the Santa Ana River Regional Parks and is located a few miles downstream from the Rubidoux Nature Cen- ter. Proceed south from Pedley along Van Buren to Arlington Avenue. Turn west and go about four miles. Canada Geese are regular here. This park has less riparian vegetation, so one does not see the unusual wintering birds or vagrants seen other places, although Swamp Sparrows have been reported along the river. Ring-necked Pheasants are abundant here. Proceed from here to Norco and to Schliesman Road and Milli- kan Avenue (north end of Hamner Avenue). Here there are good pasture ponds for shorebirds (Dowitcher, Stilt, Avocet, Wimbrel, both Yellowlegs and Cattle Egrets). Lake Norco is an outstanding waterfowl area in winter and boasted a male Painted Redstart two years ago. THE WESTERN TANAGER 10 January-February 1981

Birds of the Season Bay trip on 7 December found eight to ten Black-footed Alba- tross and two well-seen Fork-tailed Storm-Petrels, while the trip by Shum Suffel on 3 January produced only a few Sooty Shearwaters, a few Northern Fulmars and five species of alcids. Jerry Johnson watched about a thousand Manx (Black-vented) Shearwaters .February marks the end of winter for some birds — ducks and from shore at Laguna Beach on 27 November, and Phil Unitt geese, particularly, start moving slowly northward. It is also the studied a White-vented Manx Shearwater off Oceanside on 28 start of spring for a few species — Allen's and Rufous Humming- December. This is the second white-vented Manx to be critically birds arrive with the first flowers, Common Poorwills awake from studied off our coast, but their species identification and origin are winter hibernation, and, later in the month, the first swallows ar- still undetermined. A flock of Black Storm-Petrels seen from Pt, rive. However, the majority of winter birds will be with us until Fermin on 31 October was unusual near shore, as was an Ashy April or even May, long after some resident species have raised Storm-Petrel which landed at the Torrance Airport on 5 Novem- their first brood. ber {fide Eric Brooks). This winter was disappointing for birders seeking northern or Red-necked Grebes, always unusual, were late in arriving with montane species. There were a few widely scattered reports of one at Cabrillo Beach on 3 January (Mark Kincheloe and Eric chickadees, creepers and nuthatches (mostly White-breasted) Brooks), and another (an immature) at the Santa Monica Pier on 4 along the coast, although the LA Christmas Bird Count (CBC) January (Hal and Nancy Spear, et al). Some 1200 White Pelicans found all three species in West Los Angeles (Kimball Garrett and at the north end of the Salton Sea (NESS) on 3 November were a Curtis Marantz, 4 January). Hermit Thrushes appeared in normal treat for Paul Sykes from southern Florida, where they are not that numbers, but robins, bluebirds and waxwings were absent or abundant. Los Angeles County's only Wood Stork, which returned were reported infrequently. This despite the bumper crop of to Whittier Narrows on 16 September and stayed for about ten Toyon (Christmas) berries which are normally heavily used by days, was probably the same stork seen in Long Beach on 4 Octo- these species. There were no coastal reports of Bohemian Wax- ber (Dickie Hunt). An immature Reddish Egret at Bolsa Chica wings, Northern Shrikes, Rusty Blackbirds, Evening Grosbeaks and Seal Beach during November was probably the same bird or Red Crossbills. found in Long Beach on 26 September; it is still present as of mid- January. After viewing the three small gulls on 28 November, Donna Dittman et al discovered a Louisiana Heron in the Seal Beach marsh. Five White-faced Ibis at Buena Vista Lagoon on 2 November was a good number coastally (Shantanu Pfucann). There's a saying among birders that rare birds are found in A "Black" Brant some distance up Ballona Creek, Marina del threes — unscientific but true, at least in the following small gull Rey, seemed to be sick (Bob Neuwirth, 1 November). A flock of saga. It began on 1 November when Doug Willick reported four forty-seven Canada Geese flying west over Altadena (John De Franklin's Gulls in a flock of thousands of Bonaparte's Gulls Modena, 26 September) probably represents only a local move- resting in the Santa Ana River channel a mile or two above the ocean. While looking for the Franklin's Gulls, Hal Baxter sifted out an adult Black-headed Gull (21 November) for a southerly record on the west coast. While looking for the Black-headed Gull the next day, Brad Schram discovered a Little Gull which stayed around for the Orange County CBC on 21 December. Even before these discoveries, we knew that the Black-headed Gull and the Lit- tle Gull had returned to the Stockton Sewage Plant for the third winter! Then Richard Webster found an immature Black-headed Gull in the Pt. Mugu Naval Air Station. It was last seen on 18 De- cember. Amazingly, an immature was discovered at King Harbor, Redondo Beach, by Scott Dillard et al on 30 December—a first for Los Angeles County. It seems probable that these two immatures were the same individual, as the timing is right, and both had two white central feathers interrupting the black tail band. Pelagic birding continued on the dull side, even in central Cali- ment, not migration. More than a hundred Canada Geese on Lake fornia, with no reports of Laysan Albatross or Cook's Petrels and, Mathews, Riverside County, included twenty "Cackling" Geese, surprisingly, none of the New Zealand (Buller's) or Short-tailed the small, dark race which is unusual here (Henry Childs, Jr., 6 Shearwaters (usually regular in small numbers). The Monterey December). There were also more than thirty Common Mergan- sers on the lake. There seems no doubt that Blue-winged Teal are increasing in the west — fifteen in the Prado Basin, Riverside County, (Henry Childs, Jr., 21 November), four males and three presumed females in the Los Angeles channel, Long Beach, on 27 December, and three at Whittier Narrows on 22 November. A Eu- rasian Wigeon was frequently seen along Malibu Creek above the lagoon (Tom Frillman, 13 December); two more were at McGrath State Park, Ventura, and one near Santa Barbara. A pair of Wood Ducks appeared on the 30-acre lake at Whittier Narrows on 22 De- cember (Mickey Long). Oldsquaws were seen at Little Lake 140 THE WESTERN TANAGER 11 January-February 1981

Morro Bay later moved to the sandspit which encloses the bay. It was most easily reached via "the clam taxi" from the mainland (John McDonald). Because of land development, Mountain Plovers are scarce along our coastal plain; thus thirty just off the Santa Ana Freeway at Myford Road were of interest (Doug Wil- lick). An American Golden Plover of the fulva race was on the salt flats at Marina del Rey where one or more are seen every winter. A Pectoral Sandpiper which stayed at Harbor Lake until at least 21 November was very late (Mitch Heindel). What may have been a very rare Bar-tailed Godwit, found on the afternoon of 11 No- vember at the upper ponds of Harbor Lake, could not be located again. A detailed description was provided by Hal Ferris who found the bird. Four Ruffs were seen: at the Lancaster Sewage Plant (Jon Dunn, 25 October); near Red Hill, SESS (Kimball Gar- rett, 27 December); and two at the mouth of the Santa Maria River (Paul Lehman, late October). A Red Phalarope at Malibu Lagoon on 12 November may have been sick or oiled as healthy "Reds" are seldom near shore. At the Salton Sea, several gulls were found which are not ex- miles inland in Inyo County on 26 October (Barry and Terry pected inland: both Pomarine and Parasitic Jaegers at NESS Clark); at the mouth of the Ventura River (Don Sterba, 27 No- (Paul Sykes, 3 November); two adult Mew Gulls at Salton City on vember); at Seal Beach (Jeff Greenhouse, 29 November); at the 6 January (Jon Dunn); an adult and two immature Thayer's Gulls mouth of the Santa Ana River (Dave Richardson, 3 December); there the same day; a first-winter Heermann's Gull at SESS on 27 and in Ballona Creek, Marina del Rey. The male Harlequin Duck which has been in Agua Hedionda Lagoon below Oceanside for three years was still there at year's end. A King Eider at Abbott's Lagoon, north of San Francisco, was the first report from Califor- nia since 1974 (Dave Shuford, 13 November). A White-winged Scoter at NESS was unusual inland (Doug Willick, 22 Novem- ber). The only Black Scoter reported locally was a female in Los Angeles Harbor on 27 December, but there were three in the har- bor at Pt. Mugu again this winter (Richard Webster). A pair of Hooded Mergansers was sometimes seen at Malibu Lagoon (Sandy Wohlgemuth, 17 November), where one or more have been seen the last few winters, and a female was at Whittier Nar- rows after 3 November along with a female Common Merganser.

A n immature Northern Goshawk at Oasis, Mono County, on 1 November (Bruce Broadbooks and Hal Baxter) was the only one reported. A wandering Red-shouldered Hawk was at Furnace Creek Ranch (FCR) on 26 October (Guy McCaskie and Larry San- sone). Three immature Bald Eagles at Lake Mathews were fewer than expected on that lake (Henry Childs, Jr.), but nineteen at Big Bear Lake was expected at this concentration point. One or more Ospreys were seen regularly at Upper Newport Bay or along the Orange County coast, and one (two in mid-August) spent the sum- December (Fred Heath and Kimball Garrett); and a Black-leg- mer and fall at the fish-full Whittier Narrows "New Lakes". Prai- ged Kittiwake at NESS (Guy McCaskie, 6 December). A single rie Falcons were seen on the coastal slope at Prado Basin (Henry Franklin's Gull was on Apollo Lake near Lancaster on 25 October Childs, Jr.), and in downtown Los Angeles over Grand Avenue (Jon Dunn). This was a poor winter for kittiwakes along the coast, near the freeway (Jerry Johnson, 30 October). The Merlin but a very few were at King Harbor, Redondo Beach, where returned to the Arcadia Arboretum in November (Barbara Cohen), dozens are usually seen. Black Tern (uncommon coastally) was in and others were found at Oasis, Mono County (Larry Sansone and the Ballona Creek channel on 5 October (Bob Shanman). Guy McCaskie), at Bonsall Road above Zuma Beach (the Brod- Reports of murrelets along the coast decreased as the winter kins, 22 November), and at Morongo Valley (Paul Sykes, 3 No- progressed, with a sick Xantus' at King Harbor on 31 October; two vember). Craveri's off the Santa Monica Pier on 9 November (Arthur Over 200 Sandhill Cranes "dropped in" for the Santa Maria Howe); and another (?) off the nearby Venice Pier on 1 December CBC on 4 January. There were a few sightings of a Black Rail at (Jerry Johnson). Two Short-eared Owls were flying over the sali- Upper Newport Bay during the super high (seven foot) tides in cornia marsh at Marina del Rey on a heavily overcast day, 4 Janu- December. The Piping Plover found on 1 October just north of ary (Bruce Broadbooks). THE WESTERN TANAGER 12 January-February 1981

A. male Black-chinned Hummingbird (almost unknown in winter) in Long Beach Recreation Park was found in mid-Decem- ber by Brian Daniels and verified a few days later by Mitch Hein- del. Another male was found in Rancho Park on 4 January (the Clarks). A female of the same species (identified by call) was seen near Bolsa Chica (Lee Jones et al, 11 January). Allen's Humming- birds seldom winter here except on the islands and the Palos Ver- des Peninsula, thus a male in the Hollywood Hills was of special interest (Dorothy Dimsdale and Ruth Lohr, 12 November). A pure "Yellow-shafted" Flicker was apparently wintering at Whittier Narrows (Ralph Shanklin, 22 November). The only reports of Lewis' Woodpeckers came from FCR (Larry Sansone and Guy McCaskie, 26 October) and Malibu Canyon (Jerry Maisel, 24 De- cember). The eastern race of the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (S. var- ius varius) is very rare here. An adult male in Silverado Canyon, Orange County, was carefully studied on and after 19 December which wintered there last year (Larry Sansone). Vermilion Fly- (Tom Wurster, Doug Willick et al). The Red-naped race from the catchers were widely reported: a pair at Morongo Valley (Mitch Great Basin (S. varius nuchalis) is not so rare but is noteworthy— Heindel, 2 November); a male at Prado Basin Park (Doug Willick, one at Loyola Marymount University (Arthur Howe, 14 Novem- 11 November); and two in Ventura County (Richard Webster). ber), and another in Sierra Madre (Shum Suffel, 31 December). A The Common Skylark returned to Pt. Reyes for the third winter in Hairy Woodpecker in Tapia Park, Malibu (the Clarks, 25 Novem- late October. Several Barn Swallows at NESS on 3 November ber), was unexpected near the coast. (Paul Sykes) and one at Whittier Narrows on 5 November (Mic- The only wintering Tropical Kingbird was near Santa Barbara. key Long) were late records. California's first (Sedge (Short-billed There are usually several reports in the fall with a few sometimes Marsh) Wren, long anticipated and long overdue, was found in wintering here. Cassin's Kingbirds, too, were much scarcer than the marsh near Bolinas Lagoon (Dave De Sante, 4 November). It last winter, with none in the Chino area where 15 to 20 wintered in proved difficult to relocate, and was last seen on 8 November by a 1979-80 (Henry Childs, Jr.). A Western Kingbird, carefully fortunate few. Varied Thrushes were seldom reported: at Deep studied on the campus of Mt. San Antonio College (Phil Sayre, 25 Springs, Inyo County (1 November); at Scotty's Castle, Death Val- November), was very late, but could not be relocated the next day. ley, (25 October); in the Oak Canyon Nature Center, Anaheim An Eastern Phoebe was found in Huntington Beach Central Park (Doug Willick, 25 November) where there was a Townsend's Soli- on 21 December (Tom Wurster), and on 9 January there were two taire on 4 November; and in the Tucker Sanctuary (Orange there (Brian Daniels). Another Eastern Phoebe was at Pt. Mugu County CBC, 4 January). (Richard Webster). The Gray Flycatcher returned to the Arcadia A Sprague's Pipit (very rare here) was seen at SESS on 25 Octo- Arboretum for the third winter and a Western Flycatcher was ber by John Black from Saskatchewan, where he is familiar with there in early December (both, Barbara Cohen). Another Gray them. Two Solitary Vireos (rare in winter) were found in Hunt- Flycatcher was in the El Dorado Nature Center, Long Beach ington Beach Central Park—one was the coastal race (V. s. cas- (Brian Daniels, 23 December). The Coues' Flycatcher also sinii) and the other was the rarer Rocky Mt. race (V. s. plumbeus). returned to winter near the merry-go-round in Griffith Park (Jon A Warbling Vireo (very scarce in winter) was in Bob Neuwirth's Atwood, 3 November). It was still there on 11 January and with it Arcadia yard on 27 December. Another rarity was a Philadelphia was the Olive-sided Flycatcher (third or fourth winter record) Vireo found at Deep Springs on 25 October ^Guy McCaskie and Larry Sansone).

lli astern Warblers, both late migrants and wintering in- dividuals, were eagerly sought. The Black-and-white was still in the big sycamores above Zuma Beach for the Malibu CBC; another was in the tall willows at Harbor Lake during November and December (Mitch Heindel); still another was in a willow clump near the Santa Ana River (Sam Berry, 25 November); and at least two were in the Santa Barbara area. The Worm-eating Warb- ler found on the Santa Barbara CBC (3 January) could not be re- located later. Single Tennessees were in the Newport Beach Eco- logy Park (Brian Daniels, 9 January); three were near Ventura (Richard Webster) and at least seven were near Santa Barbara. The Virginia's in Tapia Park stayed for at least two weeks after 26 Oc- tober (Sandy Wohlgemuth), but the Virginia's in the Newport Beach Ecology Park was definitely wintering there. An adult Lucy's in the willow clump at Harbor Lake (Mitch Heindel, 26 October) stayed into December at least, and another Lucys was near Santa Barbara. A Magnolia at Deep Springs on 1 November THE WESTERN TANAGER 13 January-February 1981

was very late (Bruce Broadbooks). A dull immature Cape May on five together at the Los Angeles Country Club on 4 January (Kim- Bonsall Road was seen only on the Malibu CBC (Hank and Pris- ball Garrett, Ken Kendig). A male Hepatic Tanager returned to cilla Brodkin, 21 December). The latest report of a Black-throated Oceanside, where one or more have been found on the past five Green was at Scotty's Castle on 27 October (the Clarks). A female CBC's (Dave Povey, 28 December). Our only report of a Summer Black-throated Blue was in Morongo Valley (Bob McKernan, 16 Tanager was near Santa Barbara. November). The Grace's Warbler returned to the giant cypress A young male Rose-breasted Grosbeak visited Barbara Elliott's trees in Montecito for the second winter. Blackpolls are rare in- myoporum bushes in coastal Malibu on 29 October; a female was land—thus, one at Mesquite Springs, Death Valley, was of special at FCR on 29 October (the Clarks); and a male was in the Santa interest (the Clarks, 28 October). Palm Warblers were seldom Barbara area. Black-headed Grosbeaks are probably less frequent reported compared with the dozens in the fall and winter of in winter than their eastern cousins. We have only one report, a 1979—one was in the Antelope Valley on 25 October (Jon Dunn) female at Whittier Narrows on 5 and 8 November (Mickey Long), and two are wintering in Santa Barbara. A Northern Waterthrush Another probable escapee was a male Painted Bunting at Bob at Pt. Mugu was the only definite report, although there are prob- Rains' Temple City feeder in late December. Three Evening Gros- ably others in the San Diego area. A female Hooded Warbler at beaks at Big Bear City (6,800 ft.) were the only report (Mike San Deep Springs on 25 October was the only report this fall (Larry Miguel). The Green-tailed Towhee at the Arcadia Arboretum ap- Sansone and Guy McCaskie). American Redstarts were at Bonsall peared to be wintering (Barbara Cohen, 19 October). Three Lark Road on 26 October; at Scotty's Castle on 25 October; and near Buntings near Niland for the SESS CBC on 27 December were the McGrath State Park, Ventura. only ones reported. The high tides in late December did not produce any Sharp- tailed Sparrows at Newport, as they did a few years ago, but one was seen below San Diego. An adult Black-throated Sparrow seems to be wintering in Lew Hastings La Canada yard. Juncos were present in normal numbers but few Gray-headeds were reported: one in Tapia Park where one or more have been in recent winters (Sandy Wohlgemuth, 26 October), and one in Long Beach Recreation Park (Brian Daniels, 20 November). American Tree Sparrows, too, seemed to be down: one at Santa Margarita (Ar- nold Small et al, 2 November); and one at FCR where two Clay- colored Sparrows were seen by the Clarks on 29 October. The only Harris' Sparrow, an immature, was at FCR in late October. White-throated Sparrows were widely reported: at Big Sycamore Park (Justin Russell, 2 November); at Scotty's Castle on 28 Octo- ber and at FCR the next day (the Clarks); at Long Beach Recrea- Increased interest and coverage of promising areas has shown tion Park (Brian Daniels, 20 November); at Huntington Beach that small numbers of western warblers other than "Audubon's" Central Park (Doug Willick, 28 December); and five in the Santa are widespread on the coast in winter. Orange-crowneds are ex- Barbara area. The Clarks also saw an Eastern Fox Sparrow, which pected; Yellows are proving to be more frequent, but still quite is much more colorful than our western races, at Scotty's. Swamp rare in winter—two wintered at Harbor Lake; two were on the Sparrows were at Finney Lake, Imperial County (Doug Willick, Malibu CBC, five were on the Santa Barbara CBC, etc.; Town- 22 November); plus five in Ventura County, four near Santa Bar- send's are more common with six at Harbor Lake and singles in bara, and three near Santa Maria. Arcadia and Huntington Beach; single Black-throated Grays were Longspurs were found in several locations, largely as a result of in Arcadia, Huntington Beach and Harbor Lake; most unusual the CBC's. Two McCown's were at Deep Springs (Guy McCaskie were two MacGillivray's—one in Eric Brooks' yard in San Pedro and Larry Sansone, 25 October), and six more were at SESS on 6 on 22 December and another in Huntington Beach (Doug Wil- January. A single Lapland Longspur was there on 27 December. lick, 25 December); and Wilson's are occasionally seen in winter. The mesa above O'Neill Park again provided some fifty longspurs Wintering orioles are usually found near flowering eucalyptus for the Orange County CBC, mostly Chestnut-collared with two trees. An adult male Orchard Oriole near Ventura was the only probable McCown's. George Ledec and Curtis Marantz found report (Richard Webster). Reports of six Scott's Orioles were un- some fifty Chestnut-collareds in a field near Lancaster on 31 De- precedented: three males and a female in a monastery garden cember, and Arthur Howe had a single Chestnut-collared at Pep- above El Toro for the Orange County CBC (Charles Rock, 4 Janu- perdine University on 14 December. ary); a single male in Sierra Madre for the Pasadena CBC (Becky The above mass of reports make it obvious that birders to the and Cynthia Null, 29 December); plus one near Santa Barbara. north of us, in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties, either have "Baltimore" Orioles, too, were widely seen: a male at Pt. Fermin better habitat than we in Los Angeles County do, or they cover it Park on 9 November (Donna Dittmann and Terry Clark); a male better, or both. The same situation probably exists in San Diego and female on Bonsall Road (the Brodkins, 22 November); one County, but we have few reports from that area this winter. near Ventura; and seven (!) near Santa Barbara. Not too surpris- Resolved: more time in the field in 1981! ingly, Hoodeds were in the minority. An obvious escapee was a I'll see you at SESS on the 7th of February. SJ| male Lichtenstein's (Altamira) Oriole, as large and as handsome as those in southern Texas, at Whittier Narrows (John Smitt, 5 De- cember). It stayed for at least a month and was seen often. Send any interesting bird observations to: Western Tanagers were widely reported with a maximum of Shum Suffel, 1105 No. Holliston Ave., Pasadena, CA 91104 THE WESTERN TANAGER 14 January-February 1981

On Yard Birds and Others The Osprey and the Peahen Yard Lists Lead to House Lists The Suffels added a bird to their house list. We were first aware of by Dorothy Dimsdale it early on the morning of October 2, 1980, when we were awakened by beating and scratching noises on the screen of the open french doors at the head of the stairs. Upon opening one Like many other birders who are lucky enough to have some screen door, we saw a terrified Scrub Jay make its escape. But how greenery around their homes, I keep a yard list. We overlook a did it get into our carefully locked-up house? Ashes scattered on wild canyon, and I have listed some real goodies — though I can't the rug in front of the fireplace told the story. It had come down compete with Barbara Elliot who lives above Malibu. She has a the two-story chimney into the ashes of last winter's fires, and then Magnificent Frigatebird on her yard list, as well as Bendire's and thrashed its way through the ashes and between the curtains of the Sage Thrashers. My best yard bird is an Osprey and my worst was firescreen, across the livingroom, and up the stairs toward the light a Peahen. The Osprey appeared from nowhere and perched peace- of the-open, but screened doors. And how many species constitute fully for four hours on our "Hawk Tree", and then flew off to dis- our house list now? Exactly one. appear forever. But for me it was a blissful four hours. —S.S. The Peahen was a very different story. It was my worst bird be- cause it was almost certainly an escapee and so I couldn't count it, and apart from that it created problems. One morning I woke to the sound of elephant-like clomping feet on the roof, accompanied by raucous shrieks. Cautiously, I went outside just in time to see a Peahen take off and land on a spindly maple tree where it proceeded to sway wildly while liberally showering the plants beneath with huge droppings. It was com- paratively tame, and I fervently hoped it would return to wherever it had escaped from, if left alone. It was not to be. We endured three days of thundering feet on the roof, dis- lodging the rock, which tumbled noisily into the gutters and from there to the ground. We also suffered the ghastly unmusical shrieks — not to mention the huge droppings which were slowly but surely blanketing home and garden in wintery white. Both my husband and I got bored with Peafowl in general. If the bird wouldn't go away, we decided we would capture it and try to find its owner. This was easier said than done. After two hours and with great difficulty, we persuaded the bird to enter the garage, whereupon we slammed down the door and peace reigned, except of course, anywhere near the garage, where strange tappings and muffled shrieks could be heard. There are several windows in the Birding the Opening Day at Santa Anita garage, and so it wasn't dark in there. The old Peahen wasn't in- They were off at Santa Anita on the day after Christmas — all clined to snooze in daylight hours. Rather foolishly, we had neg- 66,599 of them; the temperature was 84° F and the skies were lected to move our cars out, and so we had to hurry with our next blue. Togetherness with wife, son and friend was the object of the move. day. After a half-hour wait to buy seats in the grandstand, we set- We finally prevailed upon the Department of Animal Regula- tled in just in time to see a flock of seven Killdeer flushed from the tion to come and pick up the bird. With an audience of a dozen Innercircle by the rapidly increasing crowd. One of the Killdeer, a neighbors, we opened the garage and there was the Peahen, loner, landed in front of the grandstand and rested under the To- enthroned on top of the newest car which was so splattered with talisator Board, where it watched the first four races, only to be droppings that even Earle Scheib would have upped his price to flushed by the fifth race on the turf. respray it. The Animal Regulation man walked up to the bird, said Willie Shoemaker was making his bid on the far turn when he "Come here, Gertrude ", grabbed her and stuffed her in his van. put up a flock of 18 Spotted Doves, the most numerous species We haven't heard from him since. It was near Thanksgiving and I seen during the afternoon —• 89 altogether. The Budweiser have always wondered about "Gertrude's" fate. Clydesdales flushed nine Meadowlarks as they came on the track to do their bit for entertainment. Seventeen Ringbilled Gulls cir- cled the Infield, nine adults in basic plumage and eight like the crowd (in various stages of immature plumage and behavior). Dur- ing the last race, a lone Starling came into the stand to roost. Three House Sparrows, two House Finches, a flock of five Starlings and a possible White-crowned Sparrow completed the day's lists. Just across the street at the Arboretum, Barbara Cohen was see- ing all kinds of good birds, and as it says on my bumper sticker — "I'd rather be birding." — H.E.C.Jr. THE WESTERN TANAGER 15 January-February 1981

Books Briefly Noted: A Guide to Bird Finding East of the Mississippi Olin Sewall Pettingill, Jr. 689 pp. New York: Oxford University Press.

This book is exactly what the title states. Pettingill has, however, extensively revamped his 1951 book of the same title, as the American environment and the distribution of birds has changed a great deal since then. For each of the twenty-six eastern states, Pettingill lists the main species of birds for each of the states' habitats and the dates of bird concentrations. Following this, he gives the main birding locations in the state with directions as to how they can be reached, and birds to be expected. In most cases, directions are adequate and one can always make local inquiries. This new edition of the guide has 80 pen and ink drawings by George Miksch Sutton, and includes three maps inside the covers with all state locations numbered and listed. All in all, this is a thorough, well-compiled up-date, and travel- ing birders will find it very worthwhile. — Ruth Lohr

The Illustrated Bird Watcher's Dictionary A Life Outdoors: A Curmudgeon Looks at the Donald S. Heintzelman, 164 pp, Tulsa, OK, Winchester Natural World Press Wayne Hanley, 115 pp, Brattleboro, VT, The Stephen This unique and essential reference guide fills a longstanding gap Greene Press. in ornithological literature. No longer will birdwatchers have dif- A Life Outdoors is the 1980 volume of the Man and Nature Series ficulty with terms like anatidae, boil, cere, crop, eclipse plumage, of the Massachusetts Audubon Society. For 16 years, from 1964 to endemic and Zugunruhe. 1980, Wayne Hanley was editor of publications for Massachusetts In addition to concise explanations of most nature terms, the Audubon, and he wrote a weekly column that was distributed to book offers common regional or idiomatic names for birds, as well newspapers and radio stations throughout New England. Some of as brief biographical paragraphs on ornithological luminaries such the best of these columns are gathered in this volume, juxtaposed as Baldwin, Baird, Van Tyne and many others. The book contains with touching autobiographical sketches. "It has to be wild and over 1100 entries and includes over one hundrd black and white natural or it does not interest me", says Hanley. If the wild and photos, hand-drawn maps and other illustrations. natural interest you, you will not fail to enjoy these dry, instructive (Not for sale in Audubon Bookstore) essays written by a very articulate naturalist, as well as the accom- panying drawings by Michael A. DiGiorgio. (Not for sale in Audubon Bookstore) WESTERN TANAGER EDITOR Mary Lawrence Test Published ten times a year by the Los Angeles Audubon Society, 7377 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90046. PRESIDENT Jean Brandt 1st VICE-PRESIDENT Fred Heath 2nd VICE-PRESIDENT Bob Shanman EXECUTIVE SECRETARY Carol Friedman TREASURER Art Cupples Audubon membership (local and national) is $20 per year (in- dividual), $25 (family), or $13.50 (student or senior citizen), in- cluding AUDUBON Magazine and THE WESTERN TANAGER. To join, make checks payable to the National Audubon Society, and send them to Audubon House. Subscriptions to THE WESTERN -S' TANAGER separately are $8.00 per year (Bulk Rate) or $12.00 (First Class, mailed in an envelope). To subscribe, make checks payable to Los Angeles Audubon Society. THE WESTERN TANAGER 16 January-February 1981 CALENDAR

Los Angeles Audubon Headquarters, Library, Bookstore, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7 — Bird the Salton Sea with and Nature Museum are located at Audubon House, Plum- Hal Baxter (355-6300) and Shum Suffel (797-2965). Meet at mer Park, 7377 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90046. 8:30 a.m. at the Wister turnoff on Highway 111. A great day Telephone: (213) 876-0202. Hours: 10-3, Tuesday through with the wintering species! Saturday.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7 — Ballona Wetlands. Come join the shanmans (545-2867, after 6) on this popular trip Audubon Bird Reports: through a local wetlands. Meet at 8 a.m. at the Pacific Ave- nue bridge. To get there, take 90 West (Marina Fwy.) to Los Angeles (213)874-1318 Culver Blvd. (end). Continue west on Culver, turn north on Pacific Avenue,1 straight to bridge. Santa Barbara (805) 964-8240

LAAS Pelagic Trip Reservations — 1981 Schedule TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10 — Evening Meeting. 8 p.m. Plummer Park. For the second year in a row, you will have a To make reservations for pelagic trips, send a check payable to chance to meet the LAAS Board and participate in an open LAAS, plus a self-addressed stamped envelope, your phone num- discussion regarding your society. Do come! ber and the names of all those in your party to: the Reservations Conservation Committee Meeting, 6:45 p.m. Chairman, c/o Audubon House. No reservations will be accepted or refunds made within two weeks of departure. To guarantee your space, make reservations as early as possible. Trips will be cancelled 30 days prior to departure if SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21 — Meet at 8 a.m. at the there is insufficient response. If you wish to carpool, please so indi- Nature Center to bird Whittier Narrows with Mary Thomp- cate, and you will be contacted two weeks prior to the trip. Please send a separate check for each trip! son (456-8779) and Stephanie King (558-0516). Important: Because of the rapidly rising cost of motor fuel, all listed trip prices are subject to change. Please bring an extra five dollars in one dollar bills to cover possible fuel surcharge. Boats will not leave port until trips have been paid in full, including any sur- charge.

SUNDAY, APRIL 26 — San Pedro to Osborne Bank. 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Cost: $18 per person. The Vantuna departs from San Pedro (44 spaces plus two leaders). This is an LA County trip! Leaders: Fred Heath and Shum Suffel. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24 — LAAS Banquet at the Sportsman's Lodge. We will raffle a Bausch & Lomb Dis- SATURDAY, MAY 30 — San Miguel Island and out to sea. Ranger coverer telescope and a Bushnell tripod. Speaker: Herb 85 (with galley, no ice chests) departs from Oxnard Marina at 2:00 Clarke. a.m. Board after 9:00 p.m. Friday 29th. Return 4:00 p.m. on Satur- day. Cost: $38 per person. 54 bunks plus two leaders. Leaders: Fred Heath and Lee Jones. SATURDAY, MARCH 7 — Bird Ballona Wetlands with SUNDAY, JUNE 28 — Anacapa Island and out to sea. This is a be- ginners' trip — come look for the American Oystercatcher! Cost: the Shanmans (545-2867, after 6). Same details as Feb. 7. $22 per person. Sunfish departs Ventura Marina 8:00 a.m., returns 5:00 p.m. 43 spaces and two leaders. Leaders: Olga Clarke and Art Cupples. SATURDAY, MARCH 7 — Spend the morning at Har- SUNDAY, AUGUST 2 — San Pedro to San Clemente Island. The bor Lake. Meet at 8 a.m. at the Boat House to bird the area Vantuna departs San Pedro at 5:30 a.m., returns 6:00 p.m. Cost: $25 with Tom Frillman (456-8779). per person. 44 spaces plus two leaders. Join leaders Shum Suffel and Phil Sayre in the search for the Red-tailed Tropic Bird.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 29 — San Miguel Island and out to sea. TUESDAY, MARCH 10 — Evening Meeting. 8 pm. Cost: $38 per person. Boat departs Oxnard Marina; board the Plummer Park. Dean Hector will describe his work with the Ranger 85 (with galley, no ice chests) after 9:00 p.m. Friday 28th. Return at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday. 54 bunks and two leaders (to be Aplomado Falcon and will discuss its habitat, its range (for- announced). This boat will go to Cortez Ridge. merly into the US), as well as other raptors in the region. Conservation Committee Meeting, 6:45 p.m.

Los Angeles Audubon Society Non-Profit Organization 7377 Santa Monica Blvd. Sherman Suter Los Angeles, CA 90046 U.S. Postage c/o 2209 Oalcwood Dr., Apt. E PAID Columbia, ID 05201 Permit No. 26974 Los Angeles, CA